Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Inc. has officially launched in the U.S. The new company incorporates the former Berlex, Inc. into Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, as part of Bayer’s acquisition of Schering AG, Berlex’s former parent company.

Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, headquartered in Wayne, NJ, is the U.S.-based pharmaceuticals unit of Bayer HealthCare. Bayer HealthCare’s pharmaceutical business develops, manufactures and markets human health products. The global pharmaceutical business employs more than 40,000 people, with approximately 5,500 employees in the U.S.

The company’s global oncology and specialized therapeutics business units, as well as certain U.S.-based drug development groups and other business support functions, will be housed in its Montville, NJ offices. The establishment of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals is expected to create 300 new jobs in NJ.

“As the largest single pharmaceutical market in the world, the U.S. offers our organization a tremendous opportunity to strengthen our position in the specialty pharmaceuticals arena,” said Reinhard Franzen, president of Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals. “New Jersey is one of the most important centers for the U.S. pharmaceutical industry and offers access to a highly skilled workforce and close proximity to future business partners.”

As a result of these two companies combining forces, R&D activities have been consolidated into three major sites, Berkeley, CA, Berlin and Wuppertal, Germany. Research in Diagnostic Imaging, Women’s Healthcare and Oncology will be based in Berlin. Wuppertal will house the core of the company’s Cardiology research. Also, Bayer will continue operations in WA to manufacture the company’s white blood cell growth factor.